Summer travel - New England / Montreal

We are trying to plan our summer vacation. I think we are going for 2 weeks flying in and out of Boston. The first week we will have S22 and D25. The second week just D25. At the end of the first week we are dropping S22 at Colby College.

I was thinking maybe Stowe, VT and Montreal the first week. S22 would like to go to Montreal. He takes French and prefers non outdoorsy activities.

How long do you recommend staying in Montreal? Is a few days in Stowe enough? I think S22 would like zip lining. Everyone else likes hiking and kayaking.

After we drop off S22, where do you recommend? D25 and my husband enjoy hiking (I enjoy walking slower and taking photos). We considered Acadia, but we have been before. We could do the White Mountains or back to VT. I’m sure D25 would like a day or two at the beach.

Thank you!

Quebec City ?

Burlington, Vermont ?

+1 on Quebec City.

When exactly are you going to be there? That could impact my suggestions because summer is a busy touristy time in many places.

We are going the last week in June and first week in July.

I assume you want to hotel it! Check out the Mt. Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, near enough to some nice hiking.

If you go to Montreal, you could then go to Burlington VT, then head east into New Hampshire. Nice hiking in the Jefferson area. The Mountain View Grand is quite nice and lots of hiking nearby…and a beautiful view from the front porch.

Just keep in mind that that first week of July…the end of the week will abut the July 4th weekend. If you are making reservations anywhere…you probably need to do it soon.

You could head over to Maine…there are some nice places near Camden and Rockport. I’m sure you could find plenty to do in that neck of the woods too.

Calling @MaineLonghorn for Maine suggestions.

We typically stay in VRBOs. What do people like to do in Montreal and Quebec City?

Maybe combine Adirondacks with Montreal? We did a couple of days in Montreal and thought it was enough. Quebec is very nice too.

Also don’t forget that July 1 is Canada Day. Lodging may be tricky around then.

We did an NYC to Montreal trip over a week, with just 2-3 days in Montreal, and Lake Placid rock climbing as the outdoor adventure part. Stayed in an AirBNB in Montreal and a hotel in Lake Placid. Montreal focus was mainly food, also Park Mont Royal, some shopping. There are so many cute little neighborhoods. You can’t really go wrong, outdoor beauty-wise, in the mountains between Boston and Montreal.

1 Like

Hi - I grew up in Montreal and would agree that summer in Montreal is made for eating and walking around.

The areas that are most often enjoyed, by locals and tourists, are:
(1) Mont Royal - Mount Royal Park
(2) Old Montreal - Travel from past to present in Old Montréal | Tourisme Montréal
(3) The Plateau - Find the scene in the Plateau and Mile End | Tourisme Montréal
(4) Downtown - Go for urban greatness in downtown Montréal | Tourisme Montréal (I think there are plans to block off 2 of the main streets this entire summer for pedestrians only)
(5) Olympic Stadium, Botanical Gardens, and Biodome are also big draws

There are museums, open air markets (Atwater, Jean-Talon, main street in Old Montreal), independent shops, etc. all around town

Each one of these areas is perfect for a full day of walking, exploring, and eating.
There will be people EVERYWHERE - we do love to be out and about when the weather is nice

As for restaurants, there are SO many choices. Let me know you need any rec.

For information, I would suggest the following websites:
MTL tourist site - Things to do this week
MTL Blog - https://www.mtlblog.com

Please be aware that traffic and construction are TERRIBLE in the summer and it is best to be ready to walk or take the METRO rather than sit in a cab or rent a car. Also, the city is full of tourists in the summer, so grab a hotel room or VRBO now before you run out of choices.

You could easily do Stowe,VT or Burlington, VT in 2 days.

If you are game, you could also head over to upstate NY after drop off in Maine

3 Likes

Anyone have any Quebec City recs?